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Monday, July 30, 2012

Redemption Blog Tour, Giveaway, Guest Post and Book Review!

REDEMPTION

Book One
Penton Legacy series

By
Susannah Sandlin

Following a
worldwide pandemic whose vaccine left human blood deadly to vampires,
the vampire community is on the verge of starvation and panic. Some
have fanned into rural areas, where the vaccine was less prevalent,
and are taking unsuspecting humans as blood slaves. Others are simply
starving, which for a vampire is worse than death—a raging hunger
in a creature too weak to feed.

Immune
to these struggles—at first—is Penton, a tiny community in rural
Chambers County, Alabama, an abandoned cotton mill town that has been
repopulated by charismatic vampire Aidan Murphy, his scathe of 50
vampires, and their willingly bonded humans. Aidan has recruited his
people carefully, believing in a peaceful community where the humans
are respected and the vampires retain a bit of their humanity.

But
an unresolved family feud and the paranoia of the Vampire Tribunal
descend on Penton in the form of Aidan’s brother, Owen Murphy. Owen
has been issued a death warrant that can only be commuted if he
destroys Penton—and Aidan, against whom he’s held a grudge since
both were turned vampire in 17th-century Ireland. Owen begins a
systematic attack on the town, first killing its doctor, then
attacking one of Aidan’s own human familiars

To
protect his people, Aidan is forced to go against his principles and
kidnap an unvaccinated human doctor—and finds himself falling in
love for the first time since the death of his wife in Ireland
centuries ago.

Dr. Krystal
Harris, forced into a world she never knew existed, must face up to
her own abusive past to learn if the feelings she’s developing for
her kidnapper are real—or just a warped, supernatural kind of
Stockholm Syndrome in which she’s allowing herself to become a
victim yet again.

Susannah
Sandlin’s REDEMPTION is the first in the Penton Legacy series. Book
two, ABSOLUTION, will be out September 18, and book three, OMEGA, on
December 18.

Susannah
Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South,
where there are always things that go bump in the night! A journalist
by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of
Susan Howatch, and always fancied herself living in Cornwall
(although she’s never actually been there). Details, details. She
also is a fan of Stephen King. The combination of Howatch and King
probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama,
Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and
Louisiana. Her novel Redemption won the paranormal romance category
in the 2011 Chicago North RWA Fire and Ice contest, and is the first
of three in a series that debuts this year.Website/Blog:
http://www.susannahsandlin.com

Already tired of 24/7 Olympics
coverage? Well I, for one, am petitioning the International Olympic
Committee to host the new Vampire Olympics. Just think of the
marketing possibilities: The Olympics that Bite. Blood Games. These
Olympics Don’t Suck. Well, you get the idea.

Here are some suggested events, and who
I think would win. In order to remain unbiased, I have intentionally
not included any of my own vampires in the list, although I see some
possibilities, and rest assured they’ll be in training for the next
Games.

Vampire Olympic Event: Brooding

Gold Medalist: Bill Compton
(Southern Vampires). What a whiner. Soo-kay did well to rid herself
of Vampire Bill.

Runner-up: Edward Cullen
(Twilight). Seriously. Get over yourself, kid—go off and sparkle
somewhere.

Vampire Olympic Event: Iron Man

Gold Medalist: Rhage (Black
Dagger Brotherhood). Six-eight, 280 pounds, and can turn into a
dragon. What more could you want, really?

Runner-up: Jean-Claude (Anita
Blake). Iron man is more than just physical strength, and Jean-Claude
has some scary powers, including the ability to control werewolves.
If he’d ditch that unhealthy infatuation with Anita, he’d be at
the top.

Vampire Olympic Event: Hair and
Style

Gold Medalist: Pam (Southern
Vampires). Pam is cute, preppy, and snarks to kill. Everybody wants
to be Pam’s friend. Well, unless she has you for dinner.

Runner-up: Jean-Claude (Anita
Blake). The man has long, dark curls and a never-ending supply of
vintage velvet and lace. And swings not only both ways but
every-which way.

Vampire Olympic Event: Scheming
and Plotting

Gold Medalist: Eric Northman
(Southern Vampires). And he’s been scheming since his days as a
Viking, so he’s very, very good at it.

Runner-up: Legion. Truly, most
vampires excel in this category because they’ve often had centuries
with nothing else to do. Eric’s not necessarily better at it, just
more entertaining.

Head Coach:
Bones, aka Crispin (Night Huntress). I mean did you see how the man,
er, vampire ran poor Cat into the ground? Bones knows how to crack a
whip.

Assistant Coach: Ivy Tamwood
(Hollows). Ivy can devise the game plans, print out instructions,
draw maps, and be finished in time for a quick sip of blood before
dinner.

The Vampire Olympic Games are held
in loving memory of Kisten Phelps. Those of you who’ve read Kim
Harrison’s Hollows series know why.

How about you? Other events you can
think of? Who would win?

My Thoughts and Review:

It is no secret that I love reading
about vampires. I really have no idea why I am so drawn to stories
about them.

Maybe it is the whole idea of good
versus evil. Of how love can conquer all or maybe I just like
watching them battle with trying to fight the darkness inside and
(usually) winning.

Either way, I am drawn to them. And
while I love reading about them so much, I also love reading new and
different ideas and theories about them because lets face it, no
matter how much you love something, the same ole same ole gets tiring
and even boring after awhile.

Which might also be why the idea and
storyline of Redemption appealed to me so much. I liked
the idea of a pandemic sweeping the population of the human world and
the side effects of it on the humans blood their blood toxic to
vamps, therefore putting their lives (or undead existence) in
jeopardy.

And of course, the big bad alpha male
falling in love, is always a fun story line as well. :P

This book did not disappoint. Krys and
Aidan were great characters, both with a past that was less than
stellar at times and both has a lot to overcome.

I absolutely loved their romance and
the storyline about vampires was pretty darn entertaining and kept me
turning the pages wanting more. I found that once I picked this book
up, I had a really hard time putting it down.

I truly didn't want it to end. I don't
always find myself saying that at the end of vamp books, I would like
to say I love them all and that they are all original but lets face
it, they aren't. But this one truly is. It has enough new stuff in it
to captivate and enough of the other stuff I like in other vamp books
I have enjoyed to make it even better and to pull me into even more.

This is a series and author that I will
be keeping on eye on. I liked the writing style, the characters, the
storyline..pretty much all of it.

I will be watching and anxiously
awaiting the next book.

I give this one 4.5 Stars!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below to win a copy (e-book or paperback) of Redemption and a chance to win a $50 Gift Card!!

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About Me

I am a full time mom and avid reader. When I am not playing dress up or chasing down lost toys and wrestling with the never ending pile of laundry, I read. Actually, I read whenever I get the chance. I love many different genres and would have a hard time choosing just one favorite book. And yes I really am obsessed with books, in fact I might be a book hoarder. Thankfully I have a Kindle and no one is the wiser to my vastly growing collection of books.